ROOTED · WEEK 05
Open the Bible. Know what to do next.
Scripture should not feel like a locked book that only pastors know how to understand.
Leader Prep · 5 Minutes
Don't make Bible reading mysterious.
Some students open the Bible, read a few verses, do not immediately understand them, and assume they are bad at it.
Others have only experienced Scripture through sermons, devotionals, or someone else's explanation.
Tonight, give them something practical enough that they can open Scripture tomorrow without you.
The win is not covering a lot of Bible tonight. The win is giving students a process they can repeat every time they open it.
The Big Idea
God gave us Scripture to form us, not simply inform us.
The goal of Bible reading is not just to finish chapters or collect information. Scripture reveals God, exposes us, teaches us truth, corrects us, and prepares us to live differently.
Scripture
Scripture prepares you to live.
2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17Paul reminds Timothy that he has known the Scriptures since childhood and tells him to continue in what he has learned.
Then Paul says that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" and is useful for teaching, correction, and training.
Notice where Paul ends: Scripture prepares the believer "for every good work."
The Bible is meant to move from the page into our lives.
Tonight's Flow
Put the Bible in their hands.
Students should spend a meaningful portion of tonight actually reading and working through Scripture themselves.
Table
Ask what usually happens when they try to read the Bible. What confuses them? Where do they start? What makes them stop?
Word
Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17 and use the three teaching truths below.
Practice
Work through the READ method together using a short passage. Let students answer before you explain.
Pray
Pray specifically about what students discovered in Scripture and what they need to obey or remember.
Teaching Guide · 15 Minutes
Three simple truths.
Keep bringing students back to one goal: Scripture is meant to shape their lives.
The Bible is God's Word, not just another book.
Scripture carries authority because it comes from God. We do not approach it simply asking, "Do I like this?" We ask what is true and how we should respond.
Understanding takes attention.
Sometimes Scripture is immediately clear. Sometimes you need to slow down, reread, notice context, ask questions, and get help. Confusion is not failure.
The goal is obedience.
Bible reading is incomplete if it never affects how we live. Scripture teaches, corrects, and trains us so we become the kind of people God intends us to be.
A Simple Bible Method
READ.
Read slowly.
Read the passage more than once. Notice repeated words, people, commands, promises, questions, contrasts, and anything that stands out.
Look closer.
What is actually happening? Who is speaking? Who is being addressed? What comes before and after the passage?
Ask good questions.
What does this teach me about God? What does it reveal about people? Is there a promise, warning, command, or truth to remember?
Respond.
What should change because I read this? Is there something to believe, stop, start, confess, obey, or share?
Talk
Give them permission to ask questions.
What usually makes reading the Bible difficult for you?
Have you ever stopped reading because you did not understand something?
Why do you think understanding the context of a passage matters?
Which part of READ feels most natural to you?
What is one change you could make so Scripture becomes a regular part of your week?
Practice + Pray
READ Mark 2:1-12.
Let students work through the passage themselves. Read it twice. Examine what is happening. Ask what it teaches about Jesus. Then identify one response.
Three passages.
Challenge students to use READ three times before next week. Suggested passages: Mark 4:35-41, Luke 15:11-24, and Philippians 4:4-9.
Leader Coaching
Notice this.
Parent Table Talk
Open Scripture together.
Parents do not need to have every answer. They can model curiosity, humility, and consistency.
What makes reading the Bible easiest or hardest for you?
Tell your student about a Scripture that has shaped a decision or season in your life.
Read one short passage together and use the READ questions.
"God, help us love Your Word, understand it clearly, and obey what You show us."
Before Week Six
Help them keep opening the Bible.
Send students the four READ words: Read · Examine · Ask · Do.
Give them the three suggested passages for the week.
Ask students to bring one question from their Bible reading next week.
Celebrate questions instead of making students feel like they should already know the answer.
Pay attention to students who are beginning to engage Scripture independently.
Next
Week 06 - The Holy Spirit.
Students are learning to hear God's truth through Scripture. Next, we help them understand the Holy Spirit as present, personal, transforming, and empowering.